Gate-closing device



Sept. 18,1928. 1,684,578

w. K. EDWARDS GATE CLOSING DEVICE Filed May 4, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F J. a

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W. K. EDWARDS GATE CLOSING DEVICE Filed May 4, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllilil! Patented Sept 18, 1928. ii

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. Application filed May 4,

This invention relates to gate closing devlces, and in particular tosuch devices as are used'for automatically eifecting the 010s in'g movements of farm, and other gates of the type which may be opened by the mere application of pressure to the gate. An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to in" which the gate, afterbeing opened, is adapted when released to swing closed by the action of gravi-ty,the closing movement being checked or retarded suitably-by a hy dra'ulic or pneumatic fluid checking means. The invent-ion will be best understood from the followingdetailed description, when considered inlconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

Fig. 1 is aview in front elevation, showing a gate equipped with the devices for effect ingits closingmovement, said gate being shown in'closed position; I Y a a Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the gate in open position; I

Fig. 3 is a detail View, partly sectional, illustrating the track and rollers for] causing the'gateto close; 1 Fig. 4 is an inverted err-supporting strip;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of'the track; Fig. 6 shows a cup. or housing, in inverted plan, for enclosingthe rollers and track;

Fig; 7 illustratesthe tra'ckin side ,elevation; i

is an elevation of the fluid checking device; i a I Fig. 9 is a detail view, illustrating the arm for supporting the piston rod of the cheok ing device from the gate center post; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the piston.

. The gate frame comprises a horizontal por tion 2,herein shown as composed of two memplan view of the 1 011 bers, spaced, parallel, uprights, 3, 3, which may be connected by suitable elbows 4 with the horizontal members, and a center post 5, herein shown as connected by a T-coupling 6 with the horizontal members 2.

The'outer uprights 8, and the gate center post 5 are suitably anchored to a base 8 whereby the gate frame is rendered rigid.

The gate, as herein shown, is composed of a plurality of slatted members 10, suitably spaced, and connected at their ends by vertical slats 12, the three lowermost strips or slats 10 of the gate being preferably connected by suitable braces 14. An elongated flat strip of metal 16, provided with upwardly leer. $eria-1 no. leases.

projecting perforated lugs 17 18, is secured by bolts, rivets,-or other fastenings along the lowermost slatted member 10 of the gate. ffrogecting downwardly from this strip 16,

at equal distances from the aperture 19 which receives the center post 5, the strip 16 is provide l fo. ed to form bearings for the spindles-of rollers 22. The track 24 is formed by the up turned edge of acircular disk 25, which has a hub 26fittingaboutthe post 5, the hub being tapped to receive screws 27 which secure the disk 24 to the post 1 The tracks are, as best shownin Fig. 7, inclinedupwardly from two diametrically are ranged. depressions 28, 28, which latter receive the rollers 22 when the gate is inclosed position. The gate is thus maintained in closed position until sufhcient forceis ap v plied thereto to cause the rollers to pass out of the depressions 28 and mountthe inclined portions of the track 24. Such inclined portions extend, each, from a depression 28,90 degrees about the-track on an lip-grade, so that as the gate is swung from closed position, as shown in Fig. l, to open position, as

shown in Fig. 2,,the rollers will cause itto riseslightlmand at the-extreme open position of the gate the rollers r'est upon t-he highest points of the tracks, so that when the gate is released gravitytends-to cause the rollers thegate to closed position.

to move "down the inclined tracks for carry in order to protect and conceal the rollers An arm 34, having a semi-circular recess 35 and a like clamping member 36 provided with lugs 37 to receive bolts 38, is clamped to the post 5 immediately above the gate. As shown in Fig. 2, this arm projects about midway between the gate'frame and the position occupied by the gate when the latter is fully opened. The outer end of the arm is perfo rated to receive a pin 40 connecting the arm with the piston rod 41, the latter having its outer extremity forked at 42, to receive said arm. The piston rod is herein shown as having a reduced and threaded end 43, which latter enters perforations in a plate 44, metal cup 45, and cupped Washer 46 constituting a piston. Said parts of the piston are secured to the reduced end of the rod41 by a nut 47. The metal cup 45 is shown as provided with a plurality of perforations 48 to receive guide pins 49, which project inwardly from a spring 50. This spring has a natural expansion tendency, and yieldingly maintains the washer 46 against the walls of a cylinder52 within which the piston plays. Said cylinder is provided at its inner end with a perforated projection 53, which passes over a pin 54 projecting upward from suitable bracket carried bythe upper slat of the gate. It will thusbe seen that the fluid after having been moved a distance equal to 90"degrees, in passing from fully closed to fully open position, the rollers 22 willhave traveled from the lowest to the highest points on'the tracks 2d. Upon release of the gate it will start to close by the action of gravity,

the rollers moving down on the tracks;

This closing movement will, howeverfbe checked because of the resistance to movement of the gate oflered by compression of the air in the cylinder 52, as the latter travels V relatively to the piston, during the swinging movement of the gate. The gate will thus be retarded inits closing action, and will move slowly from open to closed position, such retardation being sufiicient to enable the driverof an automobile, or other vehicle, or a V 7 example,

sufiicient time toclear the gate prior to the 'latters movement toward closed position.

The device is, especially eflicient in that the self-closing elements, comprised in the inclined tracks 24, 24, and rollers 22, 22, are cooperatively related to the pneumatic checking device which holds the gate back, and prevents it from instantly swinging about its axis from fully open toward a closed position, when released. The advantage of thus holdingback the gate and slowing its closing movement 1s especially noticeable where, for

force the gate open, onthe right hand side of the road, and after passing enabled to clearthe gate before the latter has moved far enough in its return movement, to engagethe vehicle; v

Having thus described my invention, what I desire tosecure by Letters Patent is In a gate, the combination oi a framehav- .ing a vertical post, supporting meanscom' through will be pedestrian who has passed through the gate,-

a motor vehicle is so driven as to 1 i prising a disk having upturned, flanges formed as inclined tracks, depressions at the bases of the tracks, arranged substantially diametrically opposite each'other, a gate mounted to swing from open to closed POST-1 tion about said post as a center, spaced lugs projecting below said gate, anti=friction rollers between said lugs'having axles with bearings in said lugs, said rollersarranged at diametrically opposite points and resting upon said inclined ways, and a housing having its bottom portion centrally perforated to pass over the post and provided with spaced apertures to pass over said'lugsv and tion to protect andconceal said rollers. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 7 my hand this28th day of April A. 111926.

"WILLIAM K. EDWARDS- arranged with an annular depending por- 

